The San Diego Padres signed Fernando Tatis Jr. to an enormous 14-year/$340 million extension on Wednesday, which comes with a lot of risk but a potentially huge reward.
It is clear that the Friars have officially won the offseason. General manager A.J. Preller acquired three aces—Yu Darvish, Blake Snell, and Joe Musgrove to assemble what is likely the second-best rotation in the league.
While those moves were big, Preller’s biggest move is one that will be felt for the next 14 years in San Diego. It might end up being a bargain but could also end up being viewed as a quick, emotional decision.
TONY AND TATIS
PADRES FOR LIFE BABY!!!😭 pic.twitter.com/WYS7V4kjRu
— 👑 (@TatisMVP) February 18, 2021
In Tatis’ first two seasons with the club, he has emerged as arguably the best young player in baseball. If his numbers continue to be this good, he will deserve every penny of his contract.
It is impossible not to look at the number of games the power-hitting infielder has missed in his first two years in the big leagues. The son of Fernando Tatis Sr. has played a combined 143 regular season games, which does not amount to a full season.
During his rookie year, Tatis dealt with multiple injuries. A hamstring injury in the first month of the season kicked it off when he was trying to get a force out at second base. While he was not hurt during the 2020 season, it was only two months of play, just one-third of a regular six-month season.
It isn’t wrong to question if Tatis’ playing style will be able to hold up for more than a decade at a demanding position like shortstop.
Padres owner Peter Seidler could have made the safer decision, waiting to see if Tatis could hold up for an entire season before rewarding him with the third-largest contract in MLB history.
Tatis is an amazing talent. If he stays healthy, he could give Mike Trout a run for his money as the best player in the league when all is said and done. But if he doesn’t, then this decision will be a costly one for San Diego.
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One Response
Tatis will never replace Trout as the best player. He hasn’t shown what he can do over 162 games. Most likely he’ll end up being a flop. Too many people are in a hurry to say some players are great and have no evidence. The Padres are going to regret this deal.